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ACID in Software Development

Understanding ACID Properties in Software Development

Patrick Karsh
3 min readFeb 7, 2024
ACID principles, not just for hippies.

In the realm of software development, particularly when dealing with database management systems (DBMS), ensuring data integrity, consistency, and reliability during transactions is paramount. This is where the ACID properties come into play, serving as the cornerstone for reliable database transactions. ACID stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability. Each of these properties plays a vital role in maintaining the sanctity of data across multiple transactions, especially in environments where the cost of data corruption or loss is unacceptable, such as in banking, healthcare, and ecommerce platforms. This article delves into each of the ACID properties, illustrating their importance in modern software development.

Atomicity: All or Nothing

Imagine a scenario in banking software where funds are being transferred from one account to another. This operation involves two steps: debiting the amount from the source account and crediting it to the destination account. Atomicity ensures that these two operations are treated as a single unit of work. Therefore, if…

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Patrick Karsh
Patrick Karsh

Written by Patrick Karsh

NYC-based Ruby on Rails and Javascript Engineer leveraging AI to explore Engineering. https://linktr.ee/patrickkarsh

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